JК
The Case of the Velvet Claws :: Гарднер Эрл Стенли
Страница: 66 из 149Now you can get out!”
“I’m going,” Mason told him.
Chapter 10
It was nearlythree o’clock in the morning when Perry Mason got Paul Drake on the telephone.
“Paul,” he said, “I’ve got another job for you, and it’s a rush job. Have you got any more men you can put on the case?”
Paul’s voice was sleepy.
“Gee, guy,” he said, “ain’t you ever satisfied?”
“Listen,” said Mason, “wake up and snap out of it. I’ve got a job that’s got to be done in a hurry, and you’ve got to beat the police to it.”
“How the devil can I beat the police to it?” asked Paul Drake.
“You can,” Mason told him, “because I happen to know that you’ve got access to certain records. You represented the Merchants Protective Association that kept duplicate records of all firearms sold in the city. Now, I want a Colt32 automatic placed, with number 127337. The police are going to dig into it as a matter of routine, along with a lot of fingerprint stuff, and it’ll probably be some time in the morning before they feed it through the mill. They know it’s important but they don’t figure there’s any great hurry about it. What I want you to do is to get the dope in advance of the police. I’ve simply got to beat them to it.”
“What happened with the gun?” asked Paul Drake.
“A guy got shot with it once, right through the heart,” said Perry Mason.
Drake whistled. “Is that in connection with the other stuff I’ve been looking up?”
“I don’t think so,” Mason said, “but the police may. I’ve got to be in a position to protect my client. I want you to get the information, and get it before the police do.”
“Okay,” said Drake. “Where can I call you back?”
“You can’t,” Mason said. “I’ll call you.”
“When?”
“I’ll call you again in an hour.”
“I won’t have it by then,” protested Drake. “I couldn’t.”
“You’ve got to,” Mason insisted, “and I’ll call you anyway. Goodby.” And he hung up the telephone. He then called the number of Harrison Burke’s residence. There was no answer. He calledDella Street’s number, and her sleepy “Hello” came over the line, almost at once.
“This is Perry Mason, Della,” he said. “Wake up and get the sleepy dirt out of your eyes. We’ve got work to do.”
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Aroundthree o’clock, or quarter past.”
“Okay,” she said.
“I’m going,” Mason told him.
Chapter 10
It was nearlythree o’clock in the morning when Perry Mason got Paul Drake on the telephone.
“Paul,” he said, “I’ve got another job for you, and it’s a rush job. Have you got any more men you can put on the case?”
Paul’s voice was sleepy.
“Gee, guy,” he said, “ain’t you ever satisfied?”
“Listen,” said Mason, “wake up and snap out of it. I’ve got a job that’s got to be done in a hurry, and you’ve got to beat the police to it.”
“How the devil can I beat the police to it?” asked Paul Drake.
“You can,” Mason told him, “because I happen to know that you’ve got access to certain records. You represented the Merchants Protective Association that kept duplicate records of all firearms sold in the city. Now, I want a Colt32 automatic placed, with number 127337. The police are going to dig into it as a matter of routine, along with a lot of fingerprint stuff, and it’ll probably be some time in the morning before they feed it through the mill. They know it’s important but they don’t figure there’s any great hurry about it. What I want you to do is to get the dope in advance of the police. I’ve simply got to beat them to it.”
“What happened with the gun?” asked Paul Drake.
“A guy got shot with it once, right through the heart,” said Perry Mason.
Drake whistled. “Is that in connection with the other stuff I’ve been looking up?”
“I don’t think so,” Mason said, “but the police may. I’ve got to be in a position to protect my client. I want you to get the information, and get it before the police do.”
“Okay,” said Drake. “Where can I call you back?”
“You can’t,” Mason said. “I’ll call you.”
“When?”
“I’ll call you again in an hour.”
“I won’t have it by then,” protested Drake. “I couldn’t.”
“You’ve got to,” Mason insisted, “and I’ll call you anyway. Goodby.” And he hung up the telephone. He then called the number of Harrison Burke’s residence. There was no answer. He calledDella Street’s number, and her sleepy “Hello” came over the line, almost at once.
“This is Perry Mason, Della,” he said. “Wake up and get the sleepy dirt out of your eyes. We’ve got work to do.”
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Aroundthree o’clock, or quarter past.”
“Okay,” she said.